Westminster woman claims $50,000 prize on Deluxe Crossword game
Earlier this week, a retired nurse from Westminster went on a road trip with her sister. Both women are scratch-off fans and the sister made sure to get a $5 instant ticket at each stop on the way up and on the way back. Little did our winner know, her sister’s actions would prompt her to buy a $5 scratch-off worth $50,000.
Her journey to a Maryland Lottery win began when the lucky lady’s phone lost service at her house. That never happens, she said. Frustrated, the 71-year-old ventured into town to give her cell phone carrier a “piece of my mind.” Once in town, however, her phone started working again. She then thought about her sister’s road trip and decided to purchase a $5 scratch-off of her own from Westminster’s House of Liquors.
“I thought, since I’m already here I might as well,” she said. The loyal player had a $15 winning game with her and cashed it. She then purchased a $10 instant ticket that was not a winner. Before leaving the store, the loyal player decided to use her remaining $5 to purchase a Deluxe Crossword game.
The mother of three grown children and grandmother of many youngsters started to scratch off the instant ticket and stopped. She scanned the prize check area, instead, and was blown away by the message that appeared on the scanner. It said she won $50,000! Excited but unsure, the Carroll County resident took her instant ticket to the cashier for confirmation of her win.
“He said it was a $50,000 winner, too, but I still asked to see his manager,” said the winner, smiling. “He said I was indeed a winner and handed me a printout that said I won $50,000.”
The winner recalls that she was shaking from head to toe. She made sure to sign the back of the instant ticket as the employee suggested. Returning to her car with the lucky scratch-off, she sat there for a few minutes to calm down before driving home to tell her husband the great news.
“She thought I didn’t believe her,” said the winner’s husband, who came with her to claim the prize. “I could see it was a winner.”
The only other person the lucky player shared the good news with was her eldest son. “He said no one deserves it more than me,” she said.
The scratch-off player and her husband, who is also retired, say they don’t have many financial woes. The winner plans to enjoy some holiday shopping with her windfall and put the majority of the funds in the bank.
Also celebrating her win is the House of Liquors. The Lottery retailer located at 19 Carroll Plaza in Westminster earns a $500 bonus from the Lottery for selling a top-prize winning scratch-off.
The Deluxe Crossword still has six $50,000 top prizes remaining as well 15 $10,000 prizes and thousands of others ranging from $5 to $1,000.